Sunday, January 20, 2013

Samal Island is blessed with beautiful coast having white sand beaches, abundant marine life, magnificent rock formations, and flourishing flora and fauna. It is home to the famous Pearl Farm Beach Resort. But the beauty of the island is not just with its white and unspoiled beaches or its diverse natural attractions but to its warm and lovely people as well. All these make this island a potential world-class eco tourism destination in this part of the Philippines.

How to get to Samal Island from Davao City?

Davao City is the jump-off point for Samal Island. Davao is accesible via air or land/water travel from major cities in the country and the South East Asia.

Via AIR - Philippine Airlines, Air Philippines and Cebu Pacific fly to Davao regulary. It is an hour and half flight from Manila and fifity minutes flight from Cebu, and can also be accessed by plane from Zamboanga City, Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro City, Kalibo and Puerto Prinsesa Palawan. From Singapore, Silk Air and Cebu Pacific service the route. Davao is also linked to Indonesia and Hongkong.

Via STA. ANA WHARF - Go to the Magsaysay Park and take a ferry to Sta. Ana Wharf. It will take you to Kaputian Beach Wharf and the travel time is merely about an hour. You can either walk or ride a motorbike from there to reach Kaputian Beach.

Via IGACOS FERRY TERMINAL - Take the non-aircon Samal Island Bus known as the "Island City Express" from Magsaysay Park that will take you to IGACOS Ferry Terminal, the bus will ride a ferry going to Kinawitnon Wharf in Samal Island until it reaches Peñaplata (Samal District).

From the terminal, travel time to reach Samal Island via the Kinawitnon Wharf is about 15 minutes.

There are no passenger boats for you to hop in the terminal. This port is only for RORO (roll-on roll-off ships), mostly those with vehicles like cars, buses and motorbikes. So if you like to bring your own vehicle and tour the whole Samal Island, this is the right track for you.

Davao Ferry Terminal

Samal Ferry Terminal

Activities

The island has it all, you can choose from a lot of activities that this island paradise offers.

Aquatic Sports: Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, JetSki Ride

Swimming and Beach Hopping

See the Pawikan and Dugong Santuaries

Visit Bat Cave in Babak District that is home to 1.8 million Geoffrey’s Rousette Fruit Bat

Spelunking in Simbahan Dako Cave, Kimoko Cave, Mangongaong Cave and other caves in Talicud Island, Kaputian District and Babak District